The New York Times ran an article last week about the growing trend of thieves targeting customers enjoying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. While there is little doubt that bad guys can and do strike anywhere, the apparent targets of these criminals are laptops, tablet devices and handbags left unattended by careless customers who wander off to order drinks. In addition, the report noted that users who leave their laptop while visiting the restroom "should not be surprised to return to an empty table."

No one is tallying the number of Starbucks thefts, though PCWorld noted that one police task force arrested 200 grand larceny suspects preying on Starbucks customers last year. Interviews with various police officers also portray an impression that some criminals are specifically targeting unwary customers. As such, it is probably a good idea to bring along a laptop lock such as the ClickSafe laptop lock from Kensington if planning a trip to a local café, and customers may want to stop saving a table with their laptop bags.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at the New York Times
- check out this article at PC World

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